KICKOFF V V FINALS SERIES 17TH - 18TH ROUND 1 OCTOBER MEN’S FIXTURES - FIRST GRADE 7:00 PM • SAT 17 OCT ILINDEN SPORTS CENTRE Referee: Katie Patterson Assistant Referees: Andrej Giev, Matthew McOrist Fourth Official: Kurt Ams 3:00 PM • SUN 18 OCT ALBERT BUTLER MEMORIAL PARK Referee: Michael Weiner Assistant Referees: Bradley Wright, Janush Adabjou Fourth Official: Ben Abraham FIXTURES - UNDER 20’S 4:30 PM • SAT 17 OCT ILINDEN SPORTS CENTRE Referee: Ivica Covic Assistant Referee: Jamie Ewin Assistant Referee: Luca Lavigne 4:30 PM • SAT 17 OCT LILYS FOOTBALL CENTRE Referee: Jake Rose Assistant Referee: Cameron Wright Assistant Referee: Aaron Bloch 2 #NPLNSW PLAY IT SAFE AND REDUCE THE RISK PREPARE AND WASH OR SANITISE YOUR DRESS FOR GAMES HANDS BEFORE AND AT HOME AFTER YOUR GAME SOCIAL DISTANCING TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT ALL TIMES DO NOT SHAKE HANDS, FILL AND BRING YOUR OWN HIGH FIVE OR HUG OTHER CLEARLY LABELLED DRINK PLAYERS, OFFICIALS, TEAM BOTTLE FROM HOME. OFFICIALS OR SPECTATORS DO NOT SHARE DRINK BOTTLES. DO NOT ATTEND IF YOU EXHIBIT ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS FEVER COUGH FATIGUE SORE THROAT SHORTNESS OF BREATH NPL NSW MEN’S FINALS SERIES PREVIEW There is no more time for excuses and no who have finally delivered on their potential after more second chances because It’s finals time years of falling short. in the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Zoric has managed to get the most out of his competition. squad and found a consistency which has been The condensed finals schedule this season lacking in previous seasons. means there is even more pressure on remaining It is the midfield which has been Rockdale’s four sides Sydney United 58, Sydney Olympic, powerhouse this year with Japanese playmaker Wollongong Wolves and Rockdale City as they Tomoki Wada the fulcrum. battle for a spot in the grand final and a shot at championship glory. Wada is a brilliant box-to-box midfielder who operates the middle of the pitch and is just as First placed Rockdale Ilinden FC will be gunning capable of scoring goal as he is creating them. for the Premiership and Championship double on Saturday night when they host fourth-placed Mitchell Stamatellis has also provided much- Sydney Olympic at Ilinden Sports Centre. needed experience and composure While on Sunday, second-placed Wollongong Defensively Rockdale has also made a massive Wolves will host third-placed Sydney United 58 jump forward this season with the tandem of at Albert Butler Memorial Park. Daniel Petkovski and Banri Kanaizumi helping You can catch both games live on NPL.TV their team finish the campaign with the best defensive record. Rockdale Ilinden FC v Sydney Olympic, 7pm Saturday at linden Sports Centre They will be tested in a big way on Saturday against the high profile Sydney Olympic attack Rockdale Ilinden’s time for celebration is over of Charles Lokolingoy, Fabio Ferreira and Adam and it is time to get back to business as the newly Parkhouse. crowned premiers take on Sydney Olympic at Ilinden Sports Centre this Saturday. Olympic started the season well but have slowed in the lead up to the finals as was evident in their The Steven Zoric coached side created history last 1-1 draw against Mt Druitt in the final round. week as they secured Rockdale’s first Premiership in more than half a century with an exciting 2-1 The Ante Juric coached side have struggled to win against North Shore Mariners to finish the get the most out of their highly credentialed season ahead of second-placed Wollongong on squad and will need to rediscover the formula to goal difference. their early-season success. It has been an incredible campaign for Rockdale Experienced NPL NSW Men’s campaigners 4 #NPLNSW like Jason Madonis, Thomas Whiteside and Wollongong Wolves v Sydney United 58, Christopher ‘Hagi’ Gligor will need to lead from 3pm Sunday at Albert Butler Memorial Park the front in a season-defining match. Wollongong Wolves may have narrowly missed Olympic will look to attack early and the question out on securing back-to-back premiership, but will be if Rockdale is focused on the job at hand or it means they will be more determined than ever are still celebrating their premiership win. when they host Sydney United 58 for a spot in this season’s grand final. Alec Urosevski has had the pressure of being Rockdale’s primary offensive weapon lifted off It is the second straight year these two sides have his shoulders this season and if he is used as a faced off at this stage of the competition with super-sub like he was last week could be the man United 58 claiming a shock upset to secure a to change the game while Amaury Gauthier has grand final berth in 2019. also been in lethal form and could pose a huge Despite a dominant 5-2 win against Manly United threat. in the final round, it wasn’t enough for the Luke This match is very even on paper and with a WIlkshire coached Wolves to end the season in grand final berth on the line, neither side is going first place after narrowly falling short on only goal to take it easy. difference. It’s a result which will surely fire-up the South Leading Club Scorers Coast based side and of course Wilkshire going Rockdale Ilinden: Gauthier 6 goals, Urosevski 4 into this crunch clash. goals, Wada 4 goals. Wollongong has been a model of consistency for Sydney Olympic: Lokolingoy 5 goals, Parkhouse most of the season and it is this which will play a 4 goals, Ferriera 3 goals. major role if they’re to qualify for the grand final. NPLNSW.COM.AU 5 NPL NSW MEN’S FINALS SERIES PREVIEW Defenders Taylor McDonald and Nick Littler have The group of Glen Trifiro, Devante Clut, Mat Sim been sound at the back all season for Wollongong and Yianni Perkatis are tricky customers who are setting a brilliant platform for the rest of the side just as adept at playing through a solid defensive to build from. block as they are stinging their opponent on the counter. However, it is the Wolves attack which has been their biggest strength over the second half of the Leading the charge upfront is prolific marksman season. Patrick Antelmi. Japenese playmaker Takeru Okada has been Much has been said about how Antelmi has lifted in scintillating form this campaign providing a his game to a new game this season after a stint playmaking outlet for the side as well as chipping with A-League outfit Western United. in with a few goals of his own. The former Blacktown City star has long been Marcus Beattie scored a hat-trick in Wollongong’s a talented attacking option, but this season he final game of the regular season and will come has evolved into a complete forward capable of into the finals series brimming with confidence. scoring from any situation. Finally, the pairing of Thomas James and This game has the potential to be a shootout with Josh Bingham at the top of the attack gives both sides likely to flex their attacking firepower Wollongong two of the leagues best strikers at every opportunity. and is sure to create plenty of headaches for the Expect this game to go down to the wire as opposition. both Wollongong and United 58 are capable of That team will be a United 58 outfit who claimed a snaring a late goal or two. dominant 4-2 win against APIA in the final round. There is set to be plenty of fireworks in this one The Anthony Crea coached side have already and with a grand final place on the line expect claimed a victory on the road against Wollongong nothing less. this season and will be more than a handful to Leading Club Scorers contain. Wollongong Wolves – Bingham 6 goals, Scott 4 Boasting a midfield full of skilful scheming goals, Beattie 4 goals, Okada 4 goals. playmakers who can cut a defence to pieces with a few passes, United 58 are a side which can win Sydney United 58 – Antelmi 9 goals, Sim 4 goals, a game in more ways than one. Clut 3 goals. 6 #NPLNSW KEEP OUR GAME BEAUTIFUL INTEGRITY IN SPORT All participants in the National Premier Leagues NSW are bound by a variety of rules and regulations, ANTI-DOPING including Football Federation Australia’s CODE OF • National Anti-Doping Policy • FFA Sports Supplements and CONDUCT, NATIONAL ANTI-DOPING POLICY and Medication Guidelines • Confidential “Stamp out Doping” form, report SPORTS BETTING AND MATCH FIXING GUIDELINES suspicious doping activity • Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority • ASADA Prohibited List • Integrity in Sport: Illicit Drugs • FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations • FFA Anti-Doping Education Presentation An extensive list of resources is available on the competition website at mens.nplnsw.com.au/integrity_resources You’reNPLNSW.COM.AU not alone - GAMBLING HELP LINE 1800 858 858 7 1ST GRADE LADDER POS TEAM P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Rockdale City Suns FC 11 7 3 1 20 9 11 24 2 Wollongong Wolves FC 11 8 0 3 24 14 10 24 3 Sydney United 58 FC 11 7 1 3 26 20 6 22 4 Sydney Olympic FC 11 6 3 2 17 10 7 21 5 Sydney FC 11 6 1 4 26 19 7 19 6 Blacktown City FC 11 4 3 4 19 15 4 15 7 Marconi Stallions FC 11 4 2 5 14 14 0 14 8 Manly United FC 11 3 3 5 14 18 -4 12 9 North Shore Mariners FC 11 2 4 5 11 18 -7 10 10 Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC 11 2 3 6 11 22 -11 9 11 Western Sydney Wanderers FC 11 2 2 7 14 22 -8 8 12 APIA Leichhardt FC 11 2 1 8 12 27 -15 7 U20 LADDER POS TEAM P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Sydney FC 11 8 1 2 26 10 16 25 2 Blacktown City FC 11 7 3 1 28 12 16 24 3 Western Sydney Wanderers FC 11 7 0 4 26 18 8 21 4 Rockdale City Suns FC 11 7 0 4 22 22 0 21 5 Marconi Stallions FC 11 5 2 4 13 17 -4 17 6 Sydney Olympic FC 11 4 4 3 21 22 -1 16 7 Manly United FC 11 3 4 4 21 12 9 13 8 Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC 11 3 4 4 15 15 0 13 9 Sydney United 58